Walking aids for injured or crippled persons



June 20, 1961 J. w. ECROYD 2,989,114

WALKING AIDS FOR INJURED OR CRIPPLED PERSONS Filed May 11, 1959 2,989,114 WALKING AIDS FOR INJURED R CRIPPLED PERSONS John W. Ecroyd, The Bungalow, Millbrook, Stalybridge, England Filed May 11, 1959, Ser. No. 812,201 2 Claims. (Cl. 155-22) This invention relates to walking aids for injured or crippled persons, and has for its object to provide a simple means for assisting such persons to move about safely.

The arrangement according to the invention comprises a metal frame having side members carrying arm rests and handles at the top and resting on arcuate supporting members so that the appliance can rock in a fore and aft direction.

Preferably the upper parts of the frame side members are interconnected by a cross-member at the front, and the arcuate supporting members are likewise connected by a cross-member preferably at the front. The handles are preferably arranged at approximately 90 to the top elements of the frame side members on which the arm rests are mounted. The curvature of the supporting members is such that the centres of curvatures are above the centre of gravity of the user, so that the user tends to keep in a vertical position.

In use, the user supports himself on the arm rests and allows the appliance to rock forwards, and then transfers his weight to his feet and slides the appliance forwards by upward pressure on the handles to be in position for the next step.

Referring to the accompanying drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a rear perspective view of a device according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a front perspective view.

The device comprises a frame having side members each comprising two upright tubes 1 and 2 and a top tube '3, which slopes downwards towards the front. Each top tube 3 carries at its rear end an arm rest 4 which is parallel to the tube 3 and at its front end a hand grip nited States Patent 5 approximately at right angles to the tube 3. The tubes 3 are connected near their front ends by a tube 6.

The tubes 1 and 2 are connected at their lower ends to arcuate tubes or rockers 7 which are made integral with a cross-member 8 at the front. Supporting lugs 9 are fitted under the front ends of the rockers 7 to limit the extent to which the device can rock in the forward direction.

What I claim is:

1. A walking aid for injured or crippled persons, comprising two side frames each including an arcuate rocker at its lower end and each such rocker extending in a fore and aft direrction beyond the side member, each said side member including also a shorter front limb and a longer rear limb with an upwardly and rearwardly inclined top element connecting the upper ends of said limbs together, a forwardly and upwardly inclined hand grip at the front end of each said top element extending at approximately to the direction of the top element, and a fore-arm rest of arcuate section at the rear end of each said top element, a cross member connecting the forward end of said rockers together and a further cross member connecting said side members together adjacent the said hand grips.

2. A walking aid as claimed in claim 1, having stop members below the forwardly extending parts of said rockers, located forwardly of said hand grips, to limit forward rocking movement, and in which the curvature of the said rockers is such that the center of curvature is above the center of gravity of the user.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 503,105 Tingley Aug. 8, 1893 1,137,008 Kindermann Apr. 27, 1915 1,394,224 Scott Oct. 18, 1921 1,727,969 Evans Sept. 10, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS 118,469 Great Britain Sept. 5, 1918 

